aside At The Russian Meeting, Can You Believe The President Called Comey, A Nut Job?

LAVROV/ TRUMP/ KISLYAK

Remember that 5/10/17 meeting where the republican President Donald Trump hosted Russian guests at the White house. Well, lo and behold, the NY Times have managed to obtain a transcript of this tête-à-tête. Pay attention to the president’s comments along the lines, “that Mr. Comey had put unnecessary pressure on the president’s ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.”

Here is the rest of the story…

On 5/19/17, Matt Apuzzo, Maggie Haberman and Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times penned the following report, “Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation.”

Excerpts:

“President Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office this month that firing the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, had relieved “great pressure” on him, according to a document summarizing the meeting.”

Sergey Kislyak is the Russian Ambassador who has been in the vortex of this Trump-Russian saga

“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr. Trump said, according to the document, which was read to The New York Times by an American official. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”

Mr. Trump added, “I’m not under investigation.”

“The conversation, during a May 10 meeting — the day after he fired Mr. Comey — reinforces the notion that Mr. Trump dismissed him primarily because of the bureau’s investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russian operatives. Mr. Trump said as much in one televised interview, but the White House has offered changing justifications for the firing.”

LAVROV/ RUSSIAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER

“The White House document that contained Mr. Trump’s comments was based on notes taken from inside the Oval Office and has been circulated as the official account of the meeting. One official read quotations to The Times, and a second official confirmed the broad outlines of the discussion.”

“In a statement, he said that Mr. Comey had put unnecessary pressure on the president’s ability to conduct diplomacy with Russia on matters such as Syria, Ukraine and the Islamic State.”

JAMES COMEY

“By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia’s actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia,” Mr. Spicer said. “The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations.”

“A special counsel does not ensure that the F.B.I. investigation will be free from political interference.”

“Many Democrats and some Republicans have raised alarms that the president may have tried to obstruct justice by firing Mr. Comey. The Justice Department’s newly appointed special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, was given the authority to investigate not only potential collusion, but also related allegations, which would include obstruction of justice.”

“The F.B.I.’s investigation has bedeviled the Trump administration, and the president personally. Mr. Comey publicly confirmed the existence of the investigation in March, telling Congress that his agents were investigating Russian efforts to influence the outcome of the presidential election and whether anyone in the Trump campaign had been involved. Mr. Trump has denied any collusion and called the case a waste of money and time.”

HILLARY CLINTON/ JAMES COMEY

“At first, the White House said Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey based on the recommendation of the Justice Department, and because of Mr. Comey’s handling of the F.B.I. investigation into Hillary Clinton last year. Officials said it had nothing to do with the Russia investigation.”

“But the president undercut that argument a day later, telling NBC News, “When I decided to just do it, I said to myself — I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.”

It is very possible that the Russians were already clued in about the laptops issue.

The problem here is that he did not clear the sharing of this info with the source, Israel. For other countries to be able to trust the USA in order to share its intelligence, these countries need to be able to rely on our discretion. In addition, the concern was if he disclosed just enough data where the Russians could then figure out who the source (Israeli agent) was. Even if the Israelis were able to salvage this situation, they risked losing a valuable key player in keeping their own country safe. The Israelis are taking DDT’s fubar on the chin with the caveat that this had better never happen again.

Then the next “faux pas” comes when he disparages the FBI Director James Comey and then he tells his guests about how his firing of Mr. Comey had removed “this monkey of the Trump-Russian probe” from off his back.

Points well taken, guess Trump is learning the ropes the hard way and needs to hold his tongue. He’s really a businessman and not a politician, his faux pas & snafus remind me of GW Bush! For the first 2 years GW was comedy fodder for the late night talk shows, I see Trump has him trumped!

Gronda, David Brooks said most culprits try to hide their obstruction of justice, while the President brags about it. Name calling an honorable public servant (or anyone) shows a lack of character. Keith